Here is another article about the death of my ggg-grandfather, Levi Lightcap, who was shot and killed. The article was published in Kokomo Tribune, page 1, Thursday, Dec 22, 1872.
Transcription of newspaper article:
ACCIDENTALLY KILLED
A Young Man in a Quarrel - His Father gets Shot
A few days ago, at North Judson up the Chicago R.R., young Mr. Lightcap, the telegraph operator, got into trouble with a stranger and drew his revolver. Young Hoffacker, a brother of Daniel, both recently of this city, who are up there sawing wood for the company, ran in to … [Read more...]

Who knew I’d get so excited to find out that my ggg-grandfather Levi Lightcap’s brother Isaac was a bigamist? But boy, am I glad! And I’m not referring to the moral ramifications of his deception. I’m talking about the genealogical gold mine that I received after requesting Isaac's Civil War pension file from the National Archives. After both of Isaac's widows applied for his pension, a paperwork bonanza ensued. A special investigator starts sorting out the mess, and who wins? ME! (Definitely not the wives, and that's a story I'll address another time.)
As I've … [Read more...]

People start genealogy researching their family history for many different reasons. Mine was pretty simple. I wanted to join the Daughters of the American Revolution. I wasn't sure when I started if it would be possible; my mom told me it wasn't going to happen through her family line. This left my dad's family as the only possibility. What I didn't realize was how long the process was going to take. I think I've been researching this between 8-10 years.
My mom had researched the Lightcaps and thought that line looked promising. Unfortunately, this promising … [Read more...]

Levi Lightcap and Mary Smith are my ggg-grandparents. They married in Seneca County, Ohio, on January 26, 1942. Levi's parents are John and Mary Lightcap. Mary's parents are Christian and Rebecca (Firestone) Smith.
Transcription of marriage:
Levi Lightcap and Mary Smith license to marry January 24 1842. [unreadable] The State of Ohio Seneca County - I do hereby certify that I have united in the bonds of matrimony Levi Lightcap and Mary Smith this 26th day of January 1842. Lewis Seitz M. G. Certified March 29th 1842 Geo. G. Ritchis Dept. [unreadable] … [Read more...]

George Lightcap is my gg-grandfather and the son of Levi and Mary (Smith) Lightcap. A biography of George was published in the "Pictorial and Biographical Record of La Porte, Porter, Lake and Starke Counties, Indiana" published by Goodspeed Brothers Publishers, Chicago (1894), p. 443-445.
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GEORGE LIGHTCAP. To our noble pushing hard-working business men is due the great prosperity, wealth and advancement of Starke County, Indiana. To their zeal, energy and integrity will its future greatness be indebted, as it has been in the past and among those names of … [Read more...]

Walter Lightcap was a son of Levi and Mary (Smith) Lightcap and brother to my gg-grandfather George. A biography of Walter was published in “A Standard History of Starke County Indiana” by Joseph N. McCormick, Chicago, 1915, p. 593-594.
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WALTER LIGHTCAP. One of the men who have had a large share in the development of the thriving City of North Judson is Walter Lightcap, whose home has been in that section of Starke County for sixty years. Mr. Lightcap and his family have owned much of the land around and in North Judson, and part of the town has been built up … [Read more...]

Samuel Brooks was married to Mary Jane Lightcap, the sister of my ggg-grandfather, Levi Lightcap. Mary Jane died in 1877, and in September 1878 he married Mary Wiest. His obituary was published in the Tiffin Daily Tribune on January 20, 1914.
Obituary:
Samuel Brooks
Melmore has been called to mourn the loss of one of her highly esteemed citizens, Samuel J. Brooks, who died Thursday, January 15, 1914. Mr. Brooks was born April 7, 1833, near Auburn, N. Y., and came with his parents to Seneca county, the family settling near Swander. He had been a resident of … [Read more...]

I stumbled upon this newspaper article celebrating the wedding anniversary of Albert and Lucy (Waggoner) Lightcap. Albert's parents were Robert and Lucretia Lightcap. Robert was the brother of my g-g-g-grandfather, Levi Lightcap. Albert was born in Fremont, Ohio, but spent a majority of his life in Michigan. The Flint Daily Journal on Wednesday, August 16, 1916, published this article celebrating Albert and Lucy's golden anniversary.
Transcription of article:
MR. AND MRS. A. H. LIGHTCAP CELEBRATE THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. … [Read more...]

Rebecca (Firestone) Smith was my gggg-grandmother and she was the wife of Christian Smith. Her daughter Mary was Levi Lightcap's wife. Rebecca's father, Daniel, is the ancestor traced back to for my Daughters of the American Revolution application. Rebecca is buried in Firestone Cemetery in Kosciusko County, Indiana, on land formerly owned by her nephew Samuel Firestone Jr.
Her obituary was published in the Columbia City Post on December 24, 1890. Many thanks to the South Whitley Public Library in South Whitley, Indiana; a wonderfully helpful librarian scanned … [Read more...]

Here's one of the few articles that I can find that references the accidental shooting and death of Levi Lightcap. Of course, there's a few errors. The article appeared on page 1 of the Wisconsin State Journal on 13 Dec 1870. FYI, the shooting actually took place in North Judson, Starke County, Indiana.
Transcription of article:
A fight occurred near the depot at North Jackson, Stark county, Ill., on the evening of the 9th, between Lightcap, the station agent, and his son Henry on one side, and two men named Brown and Hoffacker, on the other. During the … [Read more...]

Have you ever hit a wall with your research of an ancestor? I have, many times, but my current stumbling block is Levi Lightcap, my 3rd great grandfather. More specifically, I'm having trouble identifying his parents. All I know is that he was born in New Jersey. Other than that, it's pure speculation as to who his parents and siblings are.
I've been stumped so much that I set up an appointment in July to meet with a researcher at the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For those unfamiliar, this is the largest repository … [Read more...]